From the Waters of the West I Come

Far to the east,Live such ugly beasts,Who danceAnd pranceAlongside their remarkable king.In due time,And perhaps with rhyme,You’ll learnTo spurnHow the owl grew his wing.

‘Til then the tale I tell, Shall cast upon you a diff’rent spell,A wat’ry crown,Far underground,Will certainly be mine for the taking.

A night sky, black as the darkest swamp mud, filled the young female’s view. Each star was a beacon, blinking rhythmically, all to enchant her, to entice her with promises of everlasting glory. She sat in a thin gown of sparkling silver which flowed over the crystal bench beneath her. After the sun had shone for a few hundred days, the time for the coronation would begin. Her long white hair was tied intricately in braids, suggesting Celtic knots on the sides. Her face decorated with the soft white paint of the ruling family, with pale blue eyeshadow inviting one into her pleasant gaze. Upon her coronation, she would receive the jewelled tattoo of a water drop leading from her bottom lip to her chin, a small but powerful design she chose herself.

A firm male voice, instantly making one feel the presence of a raging river, interrupted her silent gazing, “Have you been to the aviary?”

The female smiled gently and turned. “Father, forgive me, but I find birds to be such unclean things. Shall I litter my gown with feathers instead of stroking the glimmering scales of lily creatures?”

Her father smiled and tenderly stroked her hair. “My fairest Mizumi, the next incarnation of the Cup of Moraine, would you deny your father the bonding required of our race?”

Mizumi frowned and stood. “Father, there are peacocks in the aviary. They do little else but strut with their overabundant tails, flashing blue and green to any onlooker, as though they should be admired.” She turned her head in disgust. “They are such vain, stupid creatures.”

Her father laughed, nodding, sitting beside her on the bench as the moonlight made them both shimmer. “There is something to be said of proper appearances, but there are other kinds of birds in the aviary that might be more to your liking. The Cup of Moraine must choose a glamour fitting the heart of the coming reign.”

Mizumi turned to face her father, who had since transformed into a black heron, its wings arched around it, forming a stark umbrella. It was nearly invisible in the night sky save for the shimmering of its feathers in the moonlight. She watched as he transformed back into a tall, lean, wizened old man with frost sprinkled over his short gray hair. He had a jewelled tattoo of a river winding over his face.

“From the time of my coronation, I chose the black heron for its penchant of surrounding the prey with its entire body. I search the edges of the Lake of Moraine, protecting it from harm,” he told her. “You, too, must find a bird that captures the heart of your coming rule.”

Mizumi smiled softly and stared at the floor, twisting back and forth playfully with her hands clasped behind her back. “And if no bird can contain me?”

Her father leaned forward. “Oh? Are you so certain your aspirations can reach so high? Do you desire not a kingdom, but an empire?”

Mizumi fell to her father’s feet and clenched his knees pleadingly. “Oh, father, I will not have just Moraine but every lake, every river, every stream … even the oceans shall heed my calls.”

Her father sighed and patted her on the head. “My precious Mizumi, take care, great care, that by connecting so many bodies of water you do not poison the lake you call home.”

She stood, placing her hands on her heart. “Father, I will make you proud. I will not venture forth until I am aware of my surroundings. I shall not obtain new kingdoms until I have protected this one.” She turned and bowed to him. “I am no fool, father. Under my care no place in the universe shall invite ruin.”

Her father stood and smiled, nodding politely. “May your cup overflow with prosperity, my loving daughter.” He chuckled. “Prior to your universal conquest, however, you must learn the strengths of the Kingdom of Moraine. I entreat you to be at my side come dawn.” He bowed slightly, a gesture returned by his daughter, and left the princess to dream of tomorrow’s shore.

Yay! *Loves how you weave the worlds together like this. Hmm, 3 points to the Moraine. 3 is a magical number you know, and the number of birds aluded to in this opening shot.
*Chuckles at the connotation of peacocks. Yeah, that's probably why Lucius's lawn was littered with white specimens.

Yes, other than a recurring guest star coming much later in the story, most of the Comeback King references, hopefully, will be so subtle as to be unimportant for the understanding yet a nice Easter egg for long-time readers. As I have to wait until DECEMBER for the Jareth prequel comic, I thought I'd flesh out the Kingdom of Moraine in a prequel of my own. I find its portrayal fascinating and I hope to delve deep into its history and culture.

Yes, other than a recurring guest star coming much later in the story, most of the Comeback King references, hopefully, will be so subtle as to be unimportant for the understanding yet a nice Easter egg for long-time readers. As I have to wait until DECEMBER for the Jareth prequel comic, I thought I'd flesh out the Kingdom of Moraine in a prequel of my own. I find its portrayal fascinating and I hope to delve deep into its history and culture.

Click to expand...

Oh RedPiggy, I would love some Muppets back or Red Fraggle.She is always into fantasies ands adventure. Also, maybe some of your OCs back if possible. Let me know if you bring a Fraggle or Muppets back. Great start with the first chapter of Labyrith. Thanks!

Well, in the first few chapters of the Comeback King Saga, we learn of a Fraggle Rock character who apparently lived in Moraine before living where we see him now. (Is that vague enough?) As much as I'd like to use Red, etc ... I'm not certain they'd be alive yet. I tend to be very meticulous about my Comeback timeline, as seen here. I haven't quite decided when this story takes place, but in Return to Labyrinth Jareth makes the Goblin Kingdom/Labyrinth well after (very well after) he and Mizumi meet, and she's already the queen of Moraine by this point.

Well, in the first few chapters of the Comeback King Saga, we learn of a Fraggle Rock character who apparently lived in Moraine before living where we see him now. (Is that vague enough?) As much as I'd like to use Red, etc ... I'm not certain they'd be alive yet. I tend to be very meticulous about my Comeback timeline, as seen here. I haven't quite decided when this story takes place, but in Return to Labyrinth Jareth makes the Goblin Kingdom/Labyrinth well after (very well after) he and Mizumi meet, and she's already the queen of Moraine by this point.

Click to expand...

Okay, you're right! It's your story, so I don't mind a Fraggle Rock character I never heard of at all. Thanks you for the advice!

Chapter 2The golden light caressed Mizumi’s face, waking her. She opened her closet and chose a sleeveless blouse. It was white with a ruffled collar tight around her neck, lace cascading from her neck across her chest and back and flowing over her hips, like a rushing waterfall. She added a flowing skirt so pale a blue it was almost as white as her blouse. She placed a thin net around her hair, forcing it into a bun shape. She fastened it with a heron-shaped blue diamond jewel.

As she walked gently down the giant corridors of the castle, she found many metallic objects with water flowing through them, creating a complex yet simple melody, like hearing the lonely drips dripping from the edge of a roof during a torrential downpour. She paused for a few moments to let the sounds inundate her like a spring rain.

“Impressive, no?” asked a young courtesan woman with a wide smile and a twinkle in her eye. Her robe shimmered in the light, creating a rainbow of colors. She nodded toward the musical devices. “I knew a young human male centuries ago named Hero. He lived in a quaint time where only a few advanced kingdoms existed. He was a pious male who wanted to honor the gods.” She giggled. “I came to him at night and we,” she coughed, “deliberated for hours, inventing clever devices that run on steam and water. He could even make religious tourists gape in awe as the sacred fires were lit, opening the temple doors as though the gods themselves were inviting them inside.” She sighed. “He was such a clever male. I like them clever, don’t you?”

Mizumi frowned. “Humans do not interest me,” she replied sourly. “They have only distant memories of power. They never have it themselves.”

The courtesan woman shook her head and caressed the device. “Milady is preparing to become the Cup of Moraine.” She smirked and winked at the princess. “The Cup can hold more than one drink, you know. Do not let your father’s pride blind you to the pleasures to be derived from all the flavors in the universe.”

Mizumi sighed. “The advice is duly noted. I must leave you and find my father, whose policies you seem to hold in less esteem than I do.”

She shrugged and began to leave. “The river flows downhill always, princess. No matter how unpredictable its route, some things simply do not change.”

Four hours passed as Mizumi left the main wings of the castle and floated down a waterfall in a conch-shaped carriage. The Castle of Moraine consisted of many wings on numerous boulders resting in the middle of a lake that stretched to each horizon. Each wing was connected by rushing waterfalls generated in the bowels of the main wing on the largest boulder in the center. Most citizens traversed between the wings in different types of carriages that floated up and down the waterfalls. As Mizumi landed, an athletic young man with frosted black hair met her and bowed deeply. He wore a tight armor that appeared to consist of black tar, which pulsated as he moved. He had a squared jaw and piercing eyes. “Milady, your father awaits you in the basement.”

Mizumi’s left eyebrow rose. “The basement of this wing?” She nodded and brushed past him coldly.

He followed. “Milady, is there to be a king as well?”

Mizumi walked without looking at him. “I am to be the Cup of Moraine. There is to be no other.”

He stood in front of her, making her grimace in frustration. “Milady, if it please you, a gift.” He held out a palm and ice began to form in his hand, creating the small image of a fish with mouth wide open. He smiled. “May all fall into the mouth of the Cup of Moraine.”

Mizumi snorted and pushed him aside. “Cretin, my attention this day is for my father. Your attention this day is for the fungal infection of the carriage. Polish it well.”

He kneeled as she left, his eyes burning toward the ground. “As you wish, milady.”

At long last, and content to be free of that boot-licking servant, Mizumi knocked on a large set of mother-of-pearl doors at the bottom of a long staircase. They opened by themselves and out strode the confident, if dishevelled, form of the courtesan woman, her face beaming as she adjusted her blouse.

Her father stepped into view, the river tattoo on his face swirling briefly before settling into its normal position. “My dearest daughter, welcome to the bottom of the river.”

“Indeed,” snapped Mizumi curtly.

He lunged forward and slapped her. “Do you think I asked you here to comment on my dalliances?”

Mizumi rubbed her stinging cheek. “You are the one who advised me not to poison the waters of Moraine,” she grumbled back.

Chuckling, her father nodded. “Indeed.” Sighing, he continued, “Still, what you see as a flaw of your father’s heart is but a sign of his unending compassion. Only the royal line can manipulate the states of water. This is all well and good in times of peace, but in times of war, every citizen must be equipped for battle. Only fools let soldiers fight unarmed.” He clasped his hands on her shoulders, ignoring her revulsion. “Mizumi, I am the river that feeds the lake. Without that nourishment, the lake would dry out. I brought you here to remember from whence your meals come. When you become the Cup of Moraine, I expect you to remember to feed the waters yourself.”

Hero is my hero, LOL, from a geek perspective (a Greek geek perspective?). He was a real engineer who lived in ancient Alexandria in Egypt. The inventions I mentioned are but examples. He also invented a kind of holy water vending machine, where you put in a coin and a predetermined amount of water flowed from a fountain, a ten minute play with nothing but automatons, and medical syringes. You can read about him here. Since a lot of his inventions involved the use of water in some fashion, I thought him the perfect ancient engineer to be referenced.

Ah, okay. I think I saw the segment of the show where they recreated the vending machine, in as so least using the concept of weights and counterweights onto a pan-mounted lever that opened a valve allowing a measured flow of water to then open up temple chamber doors.

The Hero I know of is from Greek myth who fell in love with Leander. Their story is similar to the song Running Bear... Two people in love with each other, living on opposite shores, can't stand being apart any longer, through themselves into the body of water separating them, swim to meet each other, kiss, and drown in each other's arms. Yeah, not the happiest of endings, but at least they went as a couple. A couple of nuts if you ask me.
*Chuckle.

I'm hoping to write a couple of chapters a week. I was going to make each chapter cover each day before Mizumi's coronation, but then I realized last night that'd be 365 chapters, LOL. Yeah, I'm gonna have to rethink that.

At least I was able to write up a rough outline of where I want this to go, though after writing a chapter I get ... writer's block. Fun fact: the scene that Charlene writes for Robbie in Writer's Block helped inspire the beginning of this fic.

Curse you writer's block! Too bad you can't just drill your way into the giant wooden block with a red W on one side and a blue B on the other like Baby Gonzo did in Romancing the Weirdo to get to the next part of your story.

At least you have a working roadmap of where your story will go.: Can't we just take that blue line?: No, that's a river.: Well that's the way we're going, down the river with the ferry queen. Aaaah! *Earwiggle.

Curse you writer's block! Too bad you can't just drill your way into the giant wooden block with a red W on one side and a blue B on the other like Baby Gonzo did in Romancing the Weirdo to get to the next part of your story.

At least you have a working roadmap of where your story will go.: Can't we just take that blue line?: No, that's a river.: Well that's the way we're going, down the river with the ferry queen. Aaaah! *Earwiggle.

Click to expand...

Very funny!

Fozzie? Now you made Boober shake his head. (sighs)! The blue line's is the river. Why can't you just read the maps? Arggghhhh! I am so tensed that now I want to sleep (groans)!

The moon had swollen over the course of many days before shrinking back into the blackness of the night sky. For her childhood, Mizumi had been, as all heirs are, hidden in the darkness of ignorance, free to play in the vast main wing by herself, her parents watching from elsewhere using magic water droplets that extended their senses, the child playing no part in the governing of the kingdom (even for pretend’s sake). This was the year prior to her coronation, however, and Mizumi could feel her heart swell as the days wore on. She would spend hours in the ancient libraries, where not books but flasks and vials stood on countless shelves. Knowledge was stored in liquid medium and could be obtained merely by supping its contents. Her body overflowed it seemed with ancient tales of reptilian and amphibian ancestors, of humans and the first appearance of magic, of the King --.

Mizumi sighed as she stared at a painting of a hooded figure cloaked in the moonlight of a crumbling crystal palace set far away in a distant and color-saturated land. The years numbered more than the drops of water in the deepest ocean, but there had been a tall, handsome, striking King who somehow had obtained dominion over the entire Universe (though how he did so was a tale still untold). No one remembered his exact features: some said he was an elderly male all dressed in black, some said he was young and vibrant and over ten feet tall (though only the various Gorg Dynasties tended to say such things), and some said he was just some dwarf hiding in the swamps to avoid his subjects.

One day, during a banquet wherein feasted thousands of inhabitants of the universe, the King stole away and hid his crown, which had grown bigger with every passing year as the weight of his authority continued to make him buckle under the pressure, in a large sack, intending to destroy it, as he no longer wished to be King of the Universe. That would certainly lead one to believe the dwarf concept was the most accurate tale, but Mizumi’s heart knew he was most handsome, if perhaps his height was something of an exaggeration. No one knew what had become of the King’s various trappings, signs of his unending powers, but there came word from distant lands of large creatures, the Gorgs, claiming the King had entrusted them with such sacred objects.

None in the Underground believed such ignorant beasts could hold something so valuable, however….

As the sun began to set, Mizumi left the hallowed halls and toured a park rich in flowing flowered ivy and pastel-glowing butterflies flitting about as though a master puppeteer twitched invisible strings connected to their slender bodies.

An emaciated male with a pale expression staggered forth from behind a bush, gushes of putrid liquid bursting forth from his mouth. He coughed and fainted right in front of her.

Disturbed, Mizumi kept her distance and walked around the diseased fae. She nearly tripped on the lying figure of an elderly fae, bloated and sweating and panting unevenly.

Mizumi began to walk much faster, her heart racing in a strong desire to return to the comfort of her own bedroom. Before she could reach a waterfall that would take her to the main wing, a young female fae, dressed simply in dark pink, wept upon a boulder. The woman looked up and wiped her tears. “Milady, you must entreat your father for the citizens of Moraine,” she told the princess sadly.

Mizumi sat beside her. “What is happening?”

The woman shrugged. “Many of us were swimming in the lake. My husband is dying, Milady. As they say, he has ‘bitten off the toad’s warts’.”

Mizumi stared at her in disgusted confusion, backing away a few inches.

The woman shook her head. “Forgive me, Your Highness, for using such peasant terms, but the phrase means he has invited sickness into the house.”

“And toads are responsible?”

The woman shook her head. “No one knows, Your Highness, for all we did was swim casually in the lake, frolicking as is the habit of the commoners of Moraine. We could not see the lake pebbles glisten in the moonlight as is usual, but we felt there should be no concern. However, it seems everyone who has gone swimming has taken ill.”

“You seem healthy still,” Mizumi replied.

The woman nodded. “It was my task to watch for snakes, so I sat and ate some fruit in the high branches of a tree.” She grabbed Mizumi and embraced her in panic. “Oh, Milady – please seek out the King’s assistance!”

Mizumi ran to the nearest oyster half-shell and rode it high up the waterfall until she landed just near the boot-licking servant, who was arguing violently with an amphibious creature, like a toad but with a thin layer of shoulder-length black hair, dressed in a gaudy display of bright contrasting colors.

“Are you implicating my family?” hissed the female creature, puffing herself up to almost match the servant’s size. “Such an insult! Such a farce! The very idea! I demand a full apology from you, the King, and a private shoreline all to my family’s. I demand justice!” With that, she slapped the servant’s face and hopped clear off the boulder where the main wing resided, falling for several minutes before splashing hard into the waters of the lake below.

I've figured out that this story is going to encompass three arcs, ending, naturally, with Mizumi becoming Queen. This arc is going to expand on a random musing from the Comeback King Saga where Wander gripes about how he was treated by Mizumi in his past.

A part of me was thinking, as I was writing it though it wasn't a conscious decision to begin with, that this will be an homage to Let the River Run or whatever that pollution ep was in Fraggle Rock. Otherwise, I was just implying that the lake wasn't clear enough to see the rocks at the bottom anymore. I wouldn't know off-hand what stones you're talking about, LOL.

Okay! Now I know what you are referncing to from FR. The female "slimy" toad is part of the McMooch family. All I know is Wander McMooch and he creeps me out and he lives at a swamp. The Gorgs? Well, I know the "crown" for King of the Universe has been passed from genration to generation. Pa Gorg was the recent king of the universe until Junior Gorg was supposed to be king in "The Gorg Who Would Be King" but made a hard choice not to be one.

Heh, I was refering to "pebbles" as in a potential outbrake of pebble pox, but since that only affects Fraggles (or does it?) and there are no Fraggles around...

For Muppetfan24/7, Mizumi is the Queen of Cups, ruler of the kingdom of Moraine, neighboring kingdom of the Labyrinth from the manga Return to Labyrinth published by TokyoPop.
You can find her info at either the Muppet Wiki or Labyrinth Wikis.